The Planet of the Apes Collection

Using metaphors to highlight human folly is a reliable and standard practice in sci-fi, but for some reason using apes helped the message hit closer to home. Perhaps because we know how similar to us they are genetically, and if evolution had taken a slight detour a few millennia ago...?
If ever you get the opportunity, stare into an ape's eyes and note what you find. There's a level of intelligence that you don't often see in 'lesser' animals.
With regards the films, parallels in how societies develop over time is an obvious thing for me to call attention to, but I know firsthand that something being obvious doesn't mean it's never overlooked, so I'm mentioning it.

Note: Links will take you to the relevant posts on the other Nut blogs (opens in new tab each time).

The Novel:
01. Planet of the Apes (1963) (aka Monkey Planet)

Original Films:
01. Planet of the Apes (1968)
02. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
03. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
04. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
05. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

Television Series:
01. Planet of the Apes (1974)
02. Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975)

Remake Film:
01. Planet of the Apes (2001)

Reboot Films:
01. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
02. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
03. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Spirit Bloody Axe w/Holster ()

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media.

 

As usual, not perfect, but damn good enough. This is sold with a shitty vinyl holster that went straight into the donation pile. Don't get me wrong, it's serviceable enough to survive a Halloween or three, if you're careful, but I wasn't dressed as a woodsman that year. Of all of the Spirit accessories I've covered, this is the one that's safest to purchase online, as it has the most consistent paint detailing, across individual pieces. That said, the head is a fair bit squishy compared to those others.

Spirit Horror Double Axe (2014)

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media.

As with the black detailing on Spirit's Foam Hammer, the level of blood splatter and smudging varies WIDELY on these, and I consequently suggest even more strongly that you examine them in-store. The handle on this one has the least amount of coverage of any I've seen over the years.

It undeniably feels hollow, but as long as you aren't beating things or people with it, it'll do the job. The wood-grain detailing of the handle is pretty swish and the head certainly looks the part. It bears a molded Rubie's Costume Company logo, but I've seen this sold in both Spirit and Party City. A cursory examination of available information reveals that it was subsumed into a larger corporate ecosphere. Yep, that'd explain it.

Yes, I wanted to sound like Perceptor. Wheeljack sucks~

Spirit Foam Sledge Hammer ()

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media.  

This fine fine hammer looks properly scaled at a glance (when not next to size references...) and takes up less room than a long-handled one would command. It's pretty awesome that way. It's also a sturdy core (metal rods perhaps?) covered by painted foam, and while I know that's very likely to degrade over time, it's absolutely perfect given that Travis's do the same. As with all of the prop weapons I'll be covering that originate from Spirit Halloween, the level of wash and paint detail will vary from piece to piece. If that aspect of the detailing is critically important to you, I recommend choosing one in-person, instead of ordering from their website.

I've since learned that foam weaponry holds up extremely well, if you handle them with care and regularly dust them. Gently!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:Leonardo('s) Katana (2015)

I'm going to excise my ramblings, leaving nothing but my assessment of the piece itself, since I have parted with all of my Silent Hill media. 

 

I'm super pleased with this katana. There's a number of variants out there, Halloween props and otherwise. This one can be found at Party City, yes, but some of the tooling is actually toy-aisle worthy! The blade isn't bent, that's just how it's sculpted, as it's rather thick. It's costume accessory quality, but definitely at the high-end of that range. The hilt is what resides in Toy Town, as it's held together with screws! I know, I know, Hollywood-style square guard, but I'm not going to be rolling over it in the shadows.

The price is overly steep, but at the time I thought it was completing my collection, so I accepted it. Yes, this is a 2017 Update and they are still just as expensive. I'd honestly say pass, at this point, unless you specifically want it for its intended purpose. Otherwise, get this!

The Trilogies Collection

Who doesn't love a threesome? When it comes to film there's something oddly satisfying about a trilogy. If the first one is lucky enough to be a success then a sequel can build upon it or tie up any threads that were left hanging. A third film can serve as a timely farewell. Or may in fact exist solely to milk cash from completists.

Because what's below the cut is alphabetical, to make life simpler for myself I'm not including the titles of individual films. Instead, I'll put the title by which they're known collectively, followed by links that'll take you to the relevant post on the relevant blog (opens in new window each time). It's a BIG list.

The Reboots Collection

Some films didn't fit comfortably under the Remakes heading and are best described as Reboots. It's usually undertaken because the studio had run the original series into the ground but still wants to milk it, so they make it shiny and new with actors and actresses that are more appealing to a younger audience. (We're probably all thinking it, so I'll go ahead and say it: sometimes it means that men/women are hired based on looks rather than talent.)

There might be some duplication of titles that are currently in the Remakes post. That's because they're either confusingly both or I've not personally seen them and can't make a judgement call on where they belong. I'm happy to take advice and/or suggestions from folks, either in relation to "add this title," or "remove that one, prick!" Sincere thanks to anyone that contributes.

NECA Cult Classics: Series 7: Beetlejuice (2008)

Seven inches of plastic that's SFW, unlike the character it represents; i.e. the titular ghost with the most as portrayed by Michael Keaton in the Beetlejuice (1988) movie. (There’s also a larger eighteen inch model available.) Besides the weird hairline, the face sculpt has some detail and looks decent in profile.

The best joints are in the neck and shoulders. The shoulder pins allow for the arms to be lifted, lowered or swivelled forwards and backwards to various degrees. The head can be spun around and tilted to look slightly up or down.

Elsewhere, his feet swivel 360 degrees at the line where hem meets boot top; it's very odd. There are holes on the underside but he comes with no stand.
His elbows and hands do the same 360 degree swivel motion as the feet.

The package includes a trio of accessories: two snakes and a copy of The Handbook for the Recently Deceased, all to scale. The snakes aren't bendable, but can be stuck inside his coat for shits and giggles. The book rested on an open palm turned upwards (as pictured) is the only way he can hold it.

2½ black and white candy stripes out of 5

Gashapon Ghost Eyecon Set 08: Kamen Rider Gaim (2016)

An explanation of the Eyecons can be found in Neg's first Ghost related post. I'll add only that they're approx 55mm in diameter, about the size of a small mandarin fruit or one of Henry Rollins' testicles [unverified claim]. It seems like they might comfortably take a knock or two and not fall to pieces; i.e. drop it on carpet and it should be fine, but drop it on concrete and there'll be tears.
The Gaim version, as featured in episode three of KR Ghost: Legendary! Riders' Souls! (2016), has an orange coloured iris, referencing Gaim's Orange Arms form. The other three sides are as you'd expect, with the number being R15.

For someone who really enjoyed Gaim and unashamedly likes clicky-clicky buttons (me on both counts), it's a fun and manageable addition to the shelf.

3½ grateful nods to Neg out of 5

The Remakes Collection

They suck, right? Mostly they do, but not always. In some cases your preference will depend upon which version you saw first. In others, there'll be a clear winner and only a fool would try to argue otherwise, which is not the same thing as loving something for personal reasons.

Below the cut is a list of films that are reviewed here on In a Nutshell and a few TV Miniseries that are reviewed over on Nut Box. The original/first version is on the left, with the remake/subsequent version(s) following. I'm not going to make a distinction between 'actual' remake and 'adapted from same source'. I'm sure I've missed some. Don't be shy. Point them out.

Candy Toy Ghost Eyecon Set 1: Musashi (2015)

I'm leaving this here out of respect to Doc's efforts in reviewing the Eyecon I gifted him.

 

By pressing the button on the right side of Ghost Eyecons, you can flip through four images: An iris, its specific number or letter (here, 01), the facial design of the form it grants, and the symbol of its hissatsu. If you have open shelves, or pets that have free reign around your collection, these may become a cleaning issue given their lenses. I had to open every candy toy and gashapon Eyecon I received to remove detritus from inside, right out of the box (or bag). The biggest issue I had was with Musashi, however: the stickers were printed off-center. I was able to fix them, but it wasn't fun, or particularly safe.

In gashapon and candy toy Eyecons, those stickers (and the ones up top) are flat, not glittery and holographic like the DXs'. The print quality isn’t fantastic, either. The QC issues and the print quality are bad enough, but at this point I find the idea of the gimmick itself quite silly. Of course it has a lot to do with what I feel about what happened with the show after the first arc.

A list of the availability of DX Eyecons is below the cut.

They Had 1 Last Shot and They Blew It out of 5

The Ace Attorney Collection

The Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney series spins the incredibly simple (and perhaps initially off-putting) concept of donning the well-tailored blazers of defense attorneys (and sometimes prosecutors) into something much more. The morality of these stalwart advocates, and the judicial system itself, is inevitably placed under the microscope, but it is done through the lens of its impact on those who entrust their lives to these men and women—characters that are often as hilarious as they are endearing and relatable.

The Phoenix Arc of the progenitorial gaming series has been covered completely on our sister site, Nut Load.

1.) Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright
2.) Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright — Justice for All
3.) Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright — Trials and Tribulations

Opinions on the music from the same era can be found on Nut Suite.

1.) Gyakuten Saiban Sound Box
2.) Gyakuten Saiban Meets Orchestra
3.) Gyakuten Saiban Meets Jazz Soul

The film has been tackled, here.

The Assassin's Creed Collection

I'm of the opinion that it’s because of Ubisoft’s aggressive marketing that the Ass Creed games sell as well as they do, because, if truth be told, for the most part they really don’t deserve to. The stories are often a jumbled mess, spending more time attempting to set up contrivances than they do delivering any kind of cohesive pay-off. The games are sometimes broken, necessitating post-release patches to get them into a playable state. Some are even sold incomplete, requiring additional but 'optional' paid-for DLC to fill in blanks.
I can say all of that with some degree of certainty because I've played most of the main series. I'm consoled by the fact that I've put very little money into Ubisoft’s pockets. Because of the yearly release schedule, if you wait long enough (about twelve months) you can get them new for less than £10.00. The enjoyment I get from side-missions is certainly worth that much.

Video Games on Nut Load.
01. Ass Creed Series

Books and Comics on Nut Ink.
01. Ass Creed Series

Short films on In a Nutshell.
01. Assassin's Creed: Lineage (2009)
02. Assassin's Creed: Ascendance (2010)
03. Assassin's Creed: Embers (2011)

The HAMMER Mummy Collection

There have been a number of Mummy franchises over the years but, like the title says, this one is for HAMMER Studios only, of which they made four (1959–1971). The bandages aren't really that frightening, but what they represent is. While they keep the walking corpse from falling to pieces, they also serve as a constant reminder that it's possible to become trapped in an eternal prison/punishment, cursed and unable to progress to the afterlife. The horror the Mummy experiences is equal or greater than what they make us feel. The mixture of mortal fear and sympathy is an odd one that none of the films make the best use of, but that doesn't stop them being entertaining in other ways.

Films on In a Nutshell:
01. The Mummy (1959)
02. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)
03. The Mummy's Shroud (1967)
04. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)